Offshore Wind Journal

Foundation installation under way for Belgian offshore windfarm

Aeolus installs the first foundation on Belgiumís Norther offshore windfarm

Van Oordís installation vessel Aeolus has started work installing the foundations on the Norther offshore windfarm, which is set to be Belgiumís largest.

The Dutch company is to install 45 foundations for the offshore windfarm, which is 23 km from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. Once completed, the windfarm will have a capacity of 370 MW.

As main contractor, Van Oord is responsible for engineering, procurement, delivery and installating the foundations, offshore high-voltage substation and the entire electrical infrastructure, as well as for installing the wind turbines. In addition to Aeolus, Van Oord will also deploy its cable-laying vessel Nexus on the project.

Aeolus was upgraded prior to the Belgian project, and now has greater loading capacity, more accommodation, a reinforced deck and a helicopter deck. The spud poles have also been enlarged, but the important modification was a new crane with a lifting capacity of 1,600 tonnes.